Guardians of Parelheiros: Environmental services, community organization and agroecological food production in the far south of São Paulo

• Grant number: 24/15050-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: November 01, 2024
• End date: October 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Renato Cymbalista
• Grantee: Maurizio Pioletti
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo (FAU). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 23/11977-7 - Guardians of Parelheiros guardians: environmental services, community organization and agroecological food production in the extreme south of the City of São Paulo, AP.BTA.R

Abstract

Payments for environmental services (PES) have been used as a public policy to achieve environmental protection and promote agroecological transition in vital spring areas close to urban centers. In São Paulo municipality, after years of debates to adopt and regulate this tool, the first notice for the payment for environmental services program was launched in 2022 by the Green and Environment Secretariat. The program's initial phase intends to support and remunerate "agroecological" farmers in the In the spring areas of Parelheiros region, mainly in the southern part of the municipality, a buffer zone between the most populated city of Latin America and Mata Atlântica, the richest forest in biodiversity in the country (and on Earth).This research and community advocacy project aims to enhance the impact of the payment for environmental services program. It intends to integrate the policy with infrastructure, technical resources and knowledge, thereby accelerating and enhancing public actions. Additionally, it aims to support agroecological farmers in the Parelheiros region to effectively participate and benefit from the program. They will be more effectively remunerated for the environmental services they provide, namely environmental protection , springs' conservation, as well as maintaining a healthy soil breathable air, and sustainable lifestyles in the outskirts of city centers.The presence of an agroecological farming community in São Paulo's extreme south offers an alternative territorial occupation to destructive and often criminal peripheral urbanization. It provides opportunities for economic, social and cultural land use and occupation. The project relies on strong local collaboration involving farmers, civil society organizations, financing tools, institutional training, and partnerships with public authorities.Through its strategic impact on the institutional ecosystem, the project will leverage public resources to safeguard the environment, promote positive development of peripheral regions, strengthen the agroecological farming system, and foster valuable knowledge to be shared with other urban areas. This will lead to a multiplier effect that goes beyond its own scale.